The Surprise he Left Behind
by CordeliaFaith
Summary: Edmund had left a lot more behind in Narnia than his new torch. He had not been living, just surviving waiting for the day he could return to reclaim his heart. EP/OFC One-Shot


**This is just a small idea that popped into my head, when watching the CoN films during my last sofa day ;) I always felt that Edmund is unappreciated after the initial betrayal and I've always wanted to give him someone.  
**

"Mother hopes you will both be alright staying with Aunt Alberta for another few months... Another few months! Oh, this is terrible!" cried Lucy, she looked to her brother and saw the disappointment she knew rested in her own eyes, reflected back at her. He looked away from his sisters unhappy gaze and glared at the wall, "It's not so bad for you, at least you have a room of your own, I have to share with our _dear cousin_!" Edmund couldn't believe they would be stuck there for another few months. He wasn't sure how much more he could take of the snide remarks and constant efforts of Eustace to get him into trouble with Uncle Harold, or worse Aunt Alberta. Sitting down on the bed next to Lucy he could feel his energy dropping once more at the thought of longer stuck in the dreary house, Lucy just seemed to get more agitated and restless with the disappointing news and flung herself from the bed to pace back and forth across the room, her face a scowling mask.

Edmund let his mind wander as he gazed at the only decoration in the room, a painting of rough seas and an old wooden ship in the distance. "Lu, where did you find that picture?" as he voiced the question Lucy gave a jump and whirled around to face it, "It was there when we arrived, it was the only one I liked so I left it up. Why?" she now was looking between the painting and her brother with a questioning look on her face. Edmund just shrugged his shoulders and looked away, staring straight at the wall instead. Lucy looked again at the painting and slowly moving back to the bed, sat down once more beside her brother, "I kept it because it reminds me of Narnia, and sometimes it looks like the waves are moving and I can imagine I'm once more stood looking out at the Great Eastern Sea."

Recently thinking of Narnia had become a painful thing to do, as it reminded him of what he had gained for just a week and lost so unfairly. He could remember the feel of her soft hands, one running from the nape of his neck up into his hair and back again, the other sneaking it's way beneath his shirt to lay against the heated shin of his chest. Her soft plump lips gently brushing along his jaw, to lightly caress the corner if his mouth before passionately kissing him, he could feel his heart breaking all over again at the thought of leaving her behind. The guilt he felt for leaving almost over took the joy and love of the night they had spent together, but try as he might he could not regret it. Seven months was a long time to go without the person you love, he wondered how long it had been in Narnia. Would she be married with a family, or possibly even dead already? The last time it had been thirteen hundred years before they returned, he was unsure whether he hoped for it to be a smaller gap the next time.

"You're thinking about _her_ again, aren't you?" Lucy, dear Lucy, always knew when his mind would wonder to Narnia and all that had been left behind, "You can't keep doing this to yourself, trying to go to war to forget doesn't work, you know that."

"I know, but what else is there? Peter and Susan are in America, and we are stuck with Useless Eustace! I struggle to see the _brighter side_ of this, it will be seven months since we left and I will be seventeen in two more. I wake up every night dreaming of still being in Narnia with her, then I'm confronted with the snores of our cousin just four feet away!" Edmund could feel the anger and desperation fill him once again and tried to hold it all back.

"Oh Callia, I love you! Please don't forget me! I'll think of you always!" came a high nasal voice from the doorway of Lucy's room, "You talk in your sleep, cousin, a most annoying habit. Sad really that you've made up a girl to fill you meaningless and empty life with, along with that ridiculous _Narnia_ you two keep talking about. A waste of time fantasising of other worlds and talking animals, you're the type of people who are just going to become a drain on society." Crossing his arms with a smug look on his face Eustace had moved into the room a few steps into the room as if he owned the place.

By this point Lucy had had enough, "Eustace! How dare you talk to Edmund like that, you've no idea what you're talking about!" Looking over at her brother she could see he was close to losing it, thinking quickly she tried to defuse the situation, "Eustace apologise to Edmund this instant! Edmund, just don't for goodness sake, she wouldn't want you to be like this!" It didn't seem to be having any effect on her brother so he quickly backed away from the pair so as not the get caught in the crossfire, not that there would be much from her cousin, what with him being a pacifist, just with a very big mouth.

Edmund could feel his blood boiling, hotter, and hotter with every word that left his cousins mouth, he hadn't even registered the fact that Lucy had been talking, just that she had moved away and so had removed herself from the firing line. He moved so fast Eustace barely had time to let out a squeak before he was slammed against the wall, Edmunds arm was across the pipsqueaks throat and pushing until his feet kicked uselessly in the air, "What do you know of life? What do you know of honour, loyalty, bravery or even love? All you know are your books, cold hard facts, that show nothing of the real world, or of emotions!" The fear in Eustaces eyes as he held him against the wall, brought a sense of dark satisfaction to Edmund before his mind registered the cries coming from his younger sister.

"Edmund! The painting, it's moving! Look!" Lucy rushed over and grabbed his free arm, dragging him over to the painting. As they reached it water began to spew from the frame as if the waves were overflowing. Eustace began to shout for his mother, but the two siblings knew it was all for naught, as no-one but those in the room could hear them now. Lucy began to laugh and cry at the same time, they were going back, looking to her brother she knew it was the same for him, they were going home. Out of the corner of her eye, Lucy saw Eustace trying to remove the painting from the wall and dove towards him to take it back, but due to the amount of water spilling out it was dropped to the floor, causing the rate of flooding to increase exponentially.

Soon they were all under water and swimming desperately towards the surface against the drag of their clothes, as their lungs cried out for the oxygen they had been deprived of. Lucy broke the surface first floundering for a few seconds before Edmund and then Eustace followed suit, both Edmund and herself seemed to notice the large ship headed straight towards them at the same moment, followed by the three forms diving in and swimming towards them rather rapidly, all Edmund could think was, he hoped they were friendly, as he really didn't have the energy to fight anymore today.

"It's alright, I've got you, you're safe." came a soothing voice as Lucy was held gently but securely against the body the voice had come from. Turning her head to look at her rescuer, she came face to face with, "Caspian! Oh, how wonderful it is to see you again!" He chuckled as he held her by the waist guiding her onto the winch beside the ship, "Hold on," and a cheeky grin was all the warning she received before being hoisted into the air and aboard the ship.

Having just had wrapped a blanket around her when Edmund was brought aboard along with the crew member that had assisted him to the winch. "Caspian, how good it is to see you!" Edmund had never been more sincere in his words than today. "Edmund, this is a surprise, but a welcome one all the same." Caspian draped an arm around both their shoulders and began to guide them towards his cabin when a screeching cry was made behind them. The siblings looked to one another and simultaneously sighed, "Eustace." Caspian looked to them confused for a moment, before following the direction of the continued screeching and squawking to a boy, he would guess to be a year Lucy's junior.

"Who is this Eustace? And why does he make such noise?" Caspian was trying very hard to remain polite, but finding it difficult with such offensive noises attacking his ears relentlessly. Looking to Lucy for answers he was shocked by the answer he received, "Your cousin... are you sure you are related by blood?" He supposed it was possible but he was not convinced, so asked Edmund if he was sure, "Unfortunately, yes. We've tried to get him to shut up many times but nothing seems to work." At that Caspian smiled and called to Tavros, the minotaur, to explain to Eustace were he was, the silence that followed was blissful and only broken by the laughter of the crew as they looked upon the boy that had fainted upon the deck. "Tavros would you take him below and find him a hammock?" a nod was received in answer, "Thank you."

Turning back to his previous task of taking his guests to find them some dry clothes, food and water, he was stopped by a hand on his arm, "How long has it been?" It was Edmund that had voiced the question and there was desperation clearly evident, Caspian hoped the answer would ease his fears, "It has been seven months since you left us. Now come, we must find you some dry clothes, there is much to discuss and I believe, someone who very much wishes to see you." A soft smile on his face as he once more lead the siblings to his cabin, looking forward to what was to be a wonderful reunion. Reaching the door, he stopped and knock before swinging it open when a voice called from inside, "For goodness sake Caspian, it is your cabin, just come in!" the exasperated tone causing Caspian to smile a little wider and usher the siblings in before him.

Edmund wasn't sure how to feel, he could hardly believe it had only been the seven months it had been for them, would she have waited for him? This thought and many more buzzing around his head, he missed the exchange between Caspian and the voice from within the cabin and step through the doorway as he was ushered forwards. The sight which greeted him stole the breath from his lungs as swiftly as a blow to the stomach, there sat a beautiful woman with ivory pale skin and long flowing hair as dark as a ravens wing, he drank in the sight of her noticing the intense look of concentration on her face as she held what appeared to be dolls clothes before spreading them over the bench next to her and grabbing up a needle and thread. "Callia." the name whispered passed his lips, as if on a breath of wind.

Her eyes widened and the fabric dropped from her hands, whipping her head round to look if she had imagined the voice once more, as she had done so often in the past. What she saw made her blink rapidly as tears began to fill her eyes, "Is this another cruel trick of my mind or a dream? If it is, I do not care, for it is a chance to see him again." The sadness and longing evident for all to hear as she looked upon the group that had just entered the cabin. Hearing the despair, Lucy couldn't hold herself back, rushing forward she dropped to her knees beside her dear friend and threw her arms around her, "We are here and very real, I promise." Lucy squeezed gently before pulling back when she felt her friend move, looking at her friends face she could see the realisation dawning that it was not a dream. Lucy smiled and stood moving next to Caspian once more, to watch the coming events as they unfolded before them.

He was dreaming, he had to be, he pinched his thigh and felt the pain but did not wake, he began to take slow measured steps towards the vision before him, and upon reaching her he dropped to his knees and raised his hand as if to caress her face but stopped just short of actually touching her. "I do not want this vision to fade, but I fear if I touch you, you will disappear."

"I will not fade, or disappear my love." the gentle smile that formed on her face was breath taking, she brought his hand the last few inches to her face, leaning into the gentle hold. "I have dreamed of this moment so many times, and wondered when I would next see the one who left with my heart." As he gazed into her bright emerald eyes, he saw the love he felt reflected back at him, "I too have wished for this day to come. I have been surviving, but not living as my heart has been here with you."

A snort broke the moment, followed by a huff from Lucy and an exclamation of pain from Caspian as she jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow. Cradling his ribs he laughed gently, "I think you left a little more than your heart with our dear Callia." he cast a significant look at her and received a tongue poked in his direction for his efforts.

"Oh fine, you have to ruin the moment don't you?! Well come and help me up then." At her sudden change in demeanour Lucy laughed lightly and Edmund smiled, a true smile for the first time since leaving Narnia seven months previous. Climbing to his feet Edmund offered his arm, to help her to her feet, he barely caught himself from stumbling when a greater weight than he had anticipated was put on his arm. "Are you ok? You're not hurt are you?"

"So now you're worried about me?! You didn't seem to interested when you left!" she shook his hands off, before swinging back and slapping him hard across the face, "That is for leaving without saying goodbye!" She grabbed his shoulders and pulled his head down to her level and proceeded to kiss the life out of him, "And that's for coming back to us."

Edmund held his reddening cheek with a dazed happy look on his face, before confusion overtook once more, "Us?" looking down at his little love he finally took notice of the changes in her, she seemed shorter but he just took that as he had grown, although she now wore a much more flowing style of dress than she had favoured before. The folds of fabric fell gracefully from beneath her chest, over a bump where her waist used to be. At the implications of that, his brain stopped.

"A baby! Oh my goodness, I'm to be an auntie! This is wonderful, I can help you make clothes and toys. Have you thought of any names yet?" Lucy babbled away to herself and then Caspian as she received no response from either Callia or Edmund. Caspian quietly led Lucy away from the pair so obviously caught up in each other, so they could sort things out between the two of them and he could lead Lucy to a room to change into some dry clothes.

Meanwhile Edmund was staring at the bump as he slowly moved his hands to cradle either side it, the wonder he felt at the small life held within was overwhelming. "I had no idea... I mean if I'd known... What I mean is..." looking up he sighed and ran one hand through his hair before taking a deep breath to start again. "I'm sorry I left, I wish I hadn't had to, I didn't say goodbye because I didn't want our last memory of each other to be tears and sadness, I don't regret a thing and I want to be there for you and our child for as long as you'll have me." He couldn't bear to look away from her eyes and was slightly unprepared for her throwing herself into his arms sobbing.

"I want you to stay with us forever, I love you now and forever, what I said before hasn't changed we just have to share each other with an extra little one." she couldn't stop the tears of happiness from falling, feeling a smile overtake her face as he brought his free hand up to wipe the tears away with his thumb. She turned to the door as someone knocked, "Come in, it's safe, for now at least." laughing at her own joke, for she knew how her hormones had been recently, and for that reason half the crew loved her and the other half feared her. For good reason in her opinion as, if they irritated her there would be hell to pay.

But that would be a tale for another day.

**As always all reviews and comments are gratefully received x**


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